of the language, outlandish turns of phrase, and obscure locutions, and then keep silent about it, consigning its meaning to Allah while denying that it indicates any attribute whatsoever. Such, in essence, is the reality of the matter in the view of these theologians.

I have seen a group among them state this meaning explicitly, and it necessarily follows from the doctrine of all of them—there is no way around it. Its substance is that the Book of Allah does not guide one to knowledge of Allah; that the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is removed from the task of teaching and informing people about the attributes of the One who sent him; and that when people dispute, they do not refer what they disagree about to Allah and the Messenger, but rather to the likes of what